


Take a Break

by hanktalkin



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Birthday Fluff, Disney World & Disneyland, Getting Lost, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-11 11:35:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12934428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hanktalkin/pseuds/hanktalkin
Summary: Ebs, Nuge, and Hallsy go to Disney for Nuge's birthday.





	Take a Break

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pally (palliris)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/palliris/gifts).



It begins when they ask Nuge what he wants to do for his birthday, and he very seriously replies, “I want to go to Disney World.”

He’s opposite Ebs and Hallsy on the couch, sitting comfortably in a chair that’s now blocking pretty much the entire television. He doesn’t seem to care, used to finding his own little place in Jordan and Taylor’s house.

Ebs rolls his eyes. “Okay. Anything else?”

“Wait, hold on for a second,” Hallsy says, putting his chin to his hand in his best Sherlock Holmes impression. “Nuge might be on to something.”

“I am?” Nuge blinked, sitting up in his chair a little straighter. “I mean, of course I am. Disney World is awesome.”

“Come on guys,” Ebs insists. “Let’s be serious for a minute and go someplace that _isn’t_ all the way on the other side of the continent. And also something that’s actually normal for three grown men to do.”

“What do you have against Disney, Ebs?” Hallsy lightly kicks Jordan in the side with a socked foot. “Don’t tell me you’re some sort of Disney Scrooge. A Scrooge McDuck, if you will.”

Ebs just shrugs. “I’m not _against_ Disney. I’ve never actually been.”

It’s that sentence that seals his fate, both of his boyfriends opening their mouths in shock as a wave of pure delight rolls over the living room. Nuge and Hallsy share a look of mutual determination, whipping back to Ebs in what is the downfall of any chance of an adult celebration.

“That settles it,” Nuge says. “We’re gong to Disney World.”

“But…” Ebs says, the ridiculousness of it beyond him. “I mean it could be fun but, you guys really want to go out and spend the whole day worrying about being recognized? And these sorts of trips take _time_ —logistically it’s just not…a thing. A thing we could do.”

“Pssh.” Hallsy sits up and scooches closer to Ebs. “We won’t get recognized, we’ll just wear some ball caps and sunglasses. Every tourist in the greater Orlando area is going to be wearing that exact getup—we’ll blend right in.”

“And we could get the park hoppers!” Nuge chimes in. “The passes that let you go to as many parks as you want, and as long as we did just the best stuff, we could get you to experience all of Disney in a day.” His brow furrows suddenly, a thought coming to him. “A day…if we started counter clockwise…and we maximized our fastpass usage…” If they weren’t already in so deep, this would have done them in: Nuge sensing the prospect of a _challenge_. He looks up suddenly, staring Ebs directly in the eyes. “I could do it. I could get you through Disney in a day.”

“Get _me_ through Disney?” Ebs asks right back. “Ry, this is supposed to be _your_ birthday.”

Nuge straightens in his chair. “This is my birthday gift to myself, then. Seeing you experience the happiest place on Earth for the first time.” His pleading eyes look like they’re about to pop right out of his head. “Please Ebs? For me?”

Ebs groans, half because it’s so corny and the other half because it’s actually working. Seriously, who could say no to that face? “Fiiiiineeee. I will allow us to have, what you humans call ‘fun’.”

Nuge jumps off his chair in victory, crashing on the couch between Jordan and Taylor with a whoop. Nuge laughs, Hallsy complains, and Ebs thinks it’s already a little worth it.

* * *

A week later and they’re on a bus, an hour since waking and seven hours since their plane landed in Orlando. Nuge and Hallsy are pouring over several maps, getting their Best Day Ever down to a T. Ebs is content just watching them. There’s something charming about their shared excitement, especially when this time it’s not going to result in broken kitchenware.

“We’ll start in the Animal Kingdom,” Nuge declares by slapping the map. “They recommend going as early as possible, since that’s when the animals are most active.”

Ebs didn’t know there were actual animals in the Animal Kingdom, but keeps his commentary to himself. Instead, he lets a fond smile tug at his lips while the other two continue their presentation.

“After that,” Hallsy butts in, “we’re heading to the Magic Kingdom for the parade. That’s where we’re going to make you ride all the classics, like _Space Mountain_ and _It’s a Small World_.”

“We’re not going on _It’s a Small World_ ,” Nuge rolls his eyes.

Hallsy stage whispers to Ebs, “yes we are.”

“ _Then_ ,” Nuge glares, waving a map to regain their attention, “We stop by Hollywood Studios, go up and down the Tower of Terror until we barf, and then watch the magic show.”

“…Doesn’t that say MGM Studios, not Hollywood studios?” Ebs asks, pointing to the tile of the map.

“Yeah well,” Nuge says. “They can pry the real name from my cold dead hands, and that’s just a fact.”

Hallsy lays the final map out between them. “To wrap up the night, we’ll go to Epcot, since their fireworks are best.”

Nuge disguises the words _magickingdom_ , as a cough.

“Magic Kingdom firewords can eat my ass,” Hallsy says firmly. He looks up, flashing a confident grin at Ebs. “Trust me. It’s going to be amazing.”

Ebs doesn’t reply, but does give a smile and a nod. Honestly, he thinks that any day spent with just the three of them is wonderful just on its own.

“So, what do you think guys?” Ryan asks, cutting through their moment. “Four parks, one day. Can we do it?”

Ebs’s grin widens, and he puts his hand in like they’re in a huddle. It doesn’t even take a second for Hallsy and Nuge to follow suit, and their simultaneous muttering of _break!_ floats around the sleeping bus.

* * *

“You guys know we have a zoo at home, right?” Ebs teases as they get in line for the safari.

“It’s _different_ , Ebs,” Nuge insists, even as the overhead speakers welcome them to their ‘three continent tour.’

Ebs smiles and shrugs. It probably is, to Taylor and Ryan at least, considering passing through the giant A N I M AL K I N G D O M sign didn’t have nearly the same effect on Jordan as it did on them. Maybe if he had come here when he was a kid it’d still inspire some sort of awe in him, but as it stands he’ll just have to ride off the coat tails of his boyfriends’ nostalgia.

The safari is fun, mainly because he has at least one person tugging on his arm every half minute, pointing out a wild, killer animal sleeping peacefully in the shade.

“It’s nice being in-between,” Ebs points out, referring to being smushed between Hallsy and Nuge. “If that lion wakes up, he’ll eat one of you first.”

“That’s your zombie apocalypse plan too,” Hallsy says. “Do you have any survival instincts that _don’t_ involve us getting eaten?”

Ebs put a hand to his chin thoughtfully. “Hmmm. Run fast?”

Hallsy snorts, but Nuge puts in, “do you think anyone’s actually been killed by one of these guys?” He gestures out at a rhino, who’s scratching his horn against a tree.

“By the animals?” Hallsy asks. “No, but four people have died inside the Animal Kingdom since 2005. Before that, Disney wasn’t legally required to report it to state authorities.”

Both Ebs and Nuge looked at him with concern.

“Taylor…” Nuge began. “Why do you know how many people have died inside Disney World?”

Hallsy shrugged. “Got bored on the plane, started the Wikipedia article on it. Seemed relevant.”

Ebs can’t help but break down at that. He’s laughing so hard he isn’t concentrating when the jeep jerks, and he falls halfway across Nuge’s lap. He manages to snort out a cheerful, “happiest place on Earth guys!”

They ride up and down _Expedition Everest_ four times in the singles line, joking and hassling each other all the while. When they’d first convinced Ebs to go on this trip, he’d been worried about being in public so soon, especially when they were just starting on “together” together. Before it’d just been casual—stringing each other along forever and pretending they totally weren’t a thing—but now they’ve finally worked up the courage to admit how much they all mean to one another. Ever since then, their new relationship has felt fragile, like anything that rocks the boat is want to shatter it.

But, even though they can’t be as affectionate as they are at home, being out with his boys feels natural, much less anxiety-inducing than he thought it would be. The constant rollercoastering lifts his spirits considerably, until one too many leaves him walking sideways.

“Something get knocked loose?” Nuge asks as Ebs wobbles slightly.

“Yeah,” Ebs admits. “Think I’m done with this one.” He looks up to see Hallsy, a similar look of pain reflected across his face. “You feeling it too Taylor?”

“No, actually.” Hallsy winces as he takes a step. “I bought these shoes because they’re supposed to be good for long distance walking, but all they do is pinch.”

“Wearing a new pair of shoes on park day?” Nuge shakes his head. “Come on Hallsy, that’s Disney no-no number one.”

Hallsy shrugs. “Yeah well, Disney no-no number two is forgetting sunscreen, but that ship has already sailed.”

Nuge winces. They’d made that unfortunate discovery the moment they’d gotten back from the safari.

“Ah, don’t remind me,” Nuge says. “But if you guys are done, we should head to the Magic Kingdom so we can get some rides in before the parade.”

They agree, and are halfway to the exit, when Hallsy’s eyes go wide.

“Oh my god. Why did no one tell me there was a Finding Nemo ride?” He’s staring at the building to the left of them, clearly only getting more excited by the minute.

Ebs shrugs, and Nuge tells him, “hey, it was on the map. And I’m pretty sure it’s a show and not ride.”

That doesn’t stop Hallsy. “Well it wasn’t here when I was a kid. Come on guys, we _have_ to go—I love Nemo.”

“But…” Nuge begins, hand drifting over the pocket where Ebs knows he keeps his map.

Jordan puts a hand on his shoulder. “C’mon Nuge, let the guy have a little fun. Show’s only twenty minutes.”

And sure enough, it looks like the line is short and they’re loading the next theater. Nuge relents, with assurances of _okay I’ll let you have this but in exchange we have to ride the monorail since it’s my birthday_ , and they all slip inside. The show is wild considering Ebs doesn’t know shit about Nemo, but Hallsy laughs at all the right parts, chiming in with the rest of the audience. He leaves the theater singing a song that Ebs is pretty sure wasn’t in the original movie.

Ebs can’t help but grin at Taylor when he hums it for the whole monorail ride.

* * *

Their arrival in the Magic Kingdom is accompanied by incredible fanfare, but only because there’s a big brass band playing in the street right at the entrance. Ebs watches the band while Hallsy spins around in circles, trying to absorb all of Main Street at once. Nuge eventually pulls them along, telling them that no one in their right mind leaves this place without getting a photo in front of the castle. They get four; one of each pair, and one of them all together taken by an older woman passing by.

“We don’t look too…couple-y, do we?” Nuge asks softly as he flips through the photos on his phone.

Hallsy and Ebs exchange a look, mutually sensing Ryan’s unhappiness.

Taylor walks over and gently punches Nuge in the shoulder. “Hey, you worry too much. People of all sorts are coming to Disney, nobody’s thinking anything about us. I mean, look at those guys.” He jerks his shoulder toward a gaggle of teenagers, some sort of high school sports team, all wearing matching shirt and looked over by some harried looking adults.

Ebs rolls his eyes. “Uhg yeah. So glad we’re not them. I mean the matching t-shirts are about as lame as you can get.”

Nuge snorts, and the mood between them is immediately lighter. Hallsy starts lightly teasing every group that walks by, making Ryan laugh, and Ebs recognizes that he’s good enough to move on with their schedule. The next stop is Tomorrowland, which is where Ebs leads them, letting Hallsy and Nuge trail behind while they cheer each other up. He doesn’t notice anything strange until he hears his name slip into the conversation.

“Hey,” he says, looking over his shoulder (something that’s a lot more difficult when pushing through hordes of people.) “You guys aren’t talking shit about me, are you?”

“Whaaaat? Noooo,” Hallsy says, his voice going high and his expression clearly saying _yes_. “We’re just having a friendly chat back here. Nothing to see. Please watch where you’re going.”

Ebs frowns, but leaves them to their conspiring. It’s a good thing too, since he turns back around in time to narrowly avoid an oncoming stroller.

They’re in line for the Buzz Lightyear ride when Ebs loses them. At first, he doesn’t panic; Nuge had been talking a lot about fastpasses and wait times and checking his phone constantly for the Disney app, and Ebs just thinks they slipped off for something related to that. But every second he edges closer to the front of the line, worrying that he’ll end up riding alone, thinking that all this waiting will be for nothing.

Just as he’s about to pass the point of no return, Nuge and Hallsy find him, jumping back in line and clearly out of breath.

“Where the hell were you guys?” he demands. “I thought I was going have to defeat Zug alone.”

“It’s Zurg,” Nuge corrects, somehow grinning at Ebs’s irritation. “And we had to go get something for you quick.”

“For me?” Jordan manages before Hallsy shoves a t-shirt into his hands. It looks like a plain graphic tee as he unfolds it, the font that’s peeking out unmistakably Disney. “Where’d you even get this?”

“One of the shops,” Taylor says, practically bouncing. He’s got a shit-eating grin on his face, and a minute later Ebs sees why. The shirt reads across its front _I Don’t Do Matching T-Shirts_ , and Jordan recalls his previous complaint with a groan. “Come on, Ebs! Put it on.”

“You guys are the worst,” he says shaking it in their faces. But the front of the line is so close now, and Hallsy and Nuge are pestering him, (and he has to admit they _did_ prank him pretty good), so finally he gives up and slips it on over his head.

He does end up riding alone on the shooter, but it’s alright when he knows Ryan and Taylor are in the car just behind him. He can still hear them snickering, much like he had on the walk over, and he lets himself have a small smile in their honor.

That goodwill lasts until they get off the ride, which is when he sees that the other two are now wearing tees that both say _I Do_.

“You guys are the worst,” he repeats. They don’t stop laughing until lunch.

* * *

They eat in line for _Space Mountain_ , (a corn dog for each of them, plus a chocolate covered banana for Hallsy) but before they can go on the ride shuts down for technical difficulties. It’s probably for the best; Ebs doesn’t think he can handle another rollercoaster with his stomach full of hot dog.

Hallsy—eventually—does convince them to go on _It’s a Small World_ , to Nuge’s seething displeasure. They have the front of the boat together, and Hallsy spends the ride recalling weird facts he picked up from Wikipedia. He points out a clown near the end, the only doll in the entire ride that isn’t smiling, and in fact is hold a _HELP_ sign _._ Ebs is fascinated. Nuge is creped.

“You’re know we’re going to have that song stuck in our head all day,” Ryan says when they finally get off.

“Speak for yourself Ry,” Hallsy grins. “I’ve still got _Just Keep Swimming_ up here.” He taps the side of his head. Nuge rolls his eyes.

They manage to squeeze in the _Haunted Mansion_ before the parade, which is just as hokey as _It’s a Small World_ , yet for some reason actually fun. Ebs and Hallsy are alone in a car this time, and Jordan peddles out jokes at the ride’s expense as they take their tour. Taylor, of course, is defensive of this beloved “classic”, but that doesn’t stop him from joining in now and again. Halfway through, Hallsy slides his hand down to link it with Ebs’s, warming his cheeks even in the dark of the ride. Ebs wonders if he held Nuge’s hand back on the shooter. He hopes so.

They make it out just in time for the start of the parade to pass through wherever-the-hell they ended up. Nuge high-fives Mickey Mouse as he walks by, and Hallsy actually gives into his urges and buys one of the souvenir mouse ears.

At the end, Ryan gets sunburned on the back of his neck and Taylor looks like his feet are still hurting him. Neither one complains though. After all, the day is only half over.

* * *

The other two seem to be putting on a brave face for Ebs’s sake, still thinking they have to be happy or something for him to have a good time. He tries to follow their example, but on his second time down the Tower of Terror, he has to admit he’s not as tough as he thinks he is.

“I’m gunna need to sit this once out guys,” he says leaning against one of the benches at the end of Sunset Boulevard.

“You want us to wait for you?” Hallsy asks, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“Nah,” Ebs says with a shake of his head, but then feels a bit lightheaded and decides against. “You guys go ahead, I’ll feel better once you get back.”

“Are you sure?” Nuge says. “Because if it means you miss out-”

Hallsy gives Nuge a little nudge. “Hey, if he’s done for the day, we’re not gunna make him go. Let’s go get one more coaster in, alright?”

Nuge relents, and gives Ebs a smile and a wave while the two depart. Ebs returns it, a strange sort of fondness overcoming him when he watches them go.

It’s odd how they’ve kind of all fallen together like this. How he never really noticed how sort-of-boyfriends he and Hallsy were until Nuge came into the picture. The kid was their tipping point. The way he just fit in between them on the couch, how he was so easy to slide into their daily routine whenever he spent the night over; it made Ebs realize that maybe wanting someone to be in your life that much meant that maybe you like them as more than just a friend. And if he liked Nuge more than just a friend, maybe he and Hallsy were _way_ more than friends without even realizing it.

Taylor, for his part, was the one to man up and make them admit all their feeling for each other. It was stuffy and awkward, but after they’d all sat down and spent a night spilling their guts in the living room, they’d forever been better for it.

The memory makes Ebs’s mouth twitch, and by the time Nuge and Hallsy make it back to him, he’s feeling a lot better.

“Ready to head out?” Nuge asks, brandishing the map. “I want to go to Toy Story, and the line there is always killer.”

Ebs nods, and Hallsy pulls him to his feet, asking him he’s doing. Ebs is fine, and they chitchat back and forth about how the roller coaster was. It’s good to be feeling better without the world spinning around him, but he notices that Jordan is still walking awkwardly due to his shoes.

“You sure you’re alright?” Ebs asks. “I bet one of the stores will sell you something else.”

“So replace my old new shoes with some new new shoes?” Hallsy raises his eyebrow. “That’s just going to be sending me further down the hellslide of foot pain.”

  
They bicker back and forth all the way to the Toy Story area, and only then do they realize what’s wrong. Ebs turns around to ask Nuge if this is the place and he’s just…not there.

“Nuge?” Ebs calls, looking around at the throngs of people behind him. “Ryan?”

At first he thinks that he and Hallsy must have slinked off to buy Ebs another t-shirt or something, but Taylor’s right here and there’s nowhere in the crowded street he could possibly hide.

“Shit,” Ebs mutters. “When did you see him last?”

Hallsy shrugs, a look of budding panic on his face. “Not since we picked you up. He was walking behind us.” He casts his eyes over the crowd again. “Damn it, I bet he was all over his map and not even looking where he was going.”

They share a look of rising alarm, a mutual pang of _where is that damn kid_ reverberating between them. They retrace their steps, back through the plaza, all the way to where Ebs had been resting. Nothing. It doesn’t help that every other adult male looks like Nuge with the matching hats and sunglasses. Ebs almost wishes they’d kept on the matching t-shirts.

“Look,” Hallsy says as they pace around the bench. “Nuge knew where we were going. He’s bound to turn up at the Toy Story stuff sooner or later.”

Ebs thinks he’s right, but then also thinks that maybe they should have stayed there to begin with. That’s what you’re supposed to do when you’re lost, right? Stay in on place until someone comes along and finds you. For all they know, Nuge showed up at the ride, saw they weren’t there, and then retraced his steps just like they had.

Sure enough; when they get back to _Toy Story Mania_ , he’s not there, and they spend another minute standing outside the ride peering over hunrdeds of heads.

“Wait,” Ebs says suddenly. “Why don’t we just text him?”

“Oh. Shit you’re right. We’re so dumb.” Hallsy takes out his phone, relief already seeping into his shoulders a bit as he types out a message. He’s about halfway through before he freezes and slaps his forehead. “His phone is out of battery.”

“ _What?_ ” Jordan raises his voice. Can nothing in this park go right?

“Don’t get mad at _me_ ,” Hallsy says, putting his hands up. “He’s been looking at the app all day, and it sucked up his battery. He used the last of his juice while in line for the roller coaster.”

Ebs rubs his face. Logically he knows Nuge is a big boy and can take care of himself, but the thought of losing him in thousands of people still is enough to make his stomach churn. At least Jordan and Taylor have each other; Ryan is out there wondering where the hell his two best friends went.

It takes another twenty minutes of anxious waiting before they have their next bright idea.

“Hallsy,” Ebs says, rubbing his temples. “Nuge really wanted to go to that magic show, right?”  
  
“ _Fantasmic_? Yeah.” Hallsy tilts his head. “You think he’ll go there?”  
  
“I think there’s only one show, and only one entrance to said show. If we stand somewhere where he can see us, he’s bound to pass us at some point.”

It’s a better plan than they have now, so Hallsy agrees, and they make their way back to Sunset Boulevard. Ebs checks his watch constantly, and eventually the sky goes dark as the show is about to starts. Guests show up, so many that Ebs starts to doubt his plan, but he and Hallsy stand in full view of the streams of people.

“Hey,” Hallsy says, placing a hand on Ebs’s shoulder. “We’re going to find him, alright?”

Taylor’s eyes hold genuine hope in them, being the comfort Jordan needs, but Ebs still has his doubts.

It isn’t going work. They must have missed him, or he decided to wait somewhere else for them. They should maybe just go wait at he park entrance and call it a night-

“Hey!”

Nuge’s voice makes its way over the heads of the crowd, and Ebs would recognize it anywhere. The kid’s taken his sunglasses off in the fading light, and it’s clearly him pushing through people to make it to his teammates.

Ebs steps off the ledge he’d been standing on and is immediately tacked in a hug. Nuge breaks it off quickly, in a bro-hug sort of way, but there’s no missing the relief in the motion.

“Where the hell were you guys!?” he’s already saying. “I looked down and back up and you were gone so I went back and you weren’t at the bench and I went to the ride and you weren’t there either and then I tried to text you but my phone was dead-”

It all comes out in a rush, just long enough for Hallsy to come down and join them. He puts and arm around Nuge’s shoulders and gives him a light squeeze.

“Ry! Calm down, it’s alright,” Taylor tries to tell him. “It’s all good now.”

“Yeah but…” Nuge’s shoulders slouch. “I got lost. It’s like I’m seven years old again, and even with all the apps and planning I made us lose a whole hour.”

“You got lost when you were a kid?” Ebs asks.

Nuge rubs the back of his sunburned neck. “Um…yeah.” More red, this time of embarrassment. “That’s why I’ve been kind of obsessed with the map. For all the good that did me.”

Ebs smiles, and punches him lightly in the shoulder. “Hey, it’s fine. We’re together again, right? That’s what matters now is not dwelling on it, and having a good rest of the night.” He motions up the path to the magic show. “Shall we?”

Nuge mirrors his smile, and the three of them make their way up. Ebs and Hallsy share a look of mutual affection, their small diversion reminding them that they need all three of them to really make it worthwhile.

* * *

“Finally,” Hallsy says, breathing out a lungful of air. “My time to shine.”

They’re standing out the gates of Epcot, most people leaving instead of going in, the giant golf ball just visible on the horizon.

“You sure Hallsy?” Ebs asks, looking him up and down. “You don’t have to push yourself if it’s going to keep tearing up your feet.”

Hallsy shoots him one distressed yet determined grimace. “No pain no gain my friend. No pain no gain.”

They make it inside just as they’re beginning to close up the park for the night, closing down rides as the time for the firework show grows closer. Hallsy power-walks like there’s no tomorrow, the ache in his feet just seeming to fuel him more. It’s obvious from his stance that Epcot is his turf; he prowls through it with practiced ease, gliding through his favorite park while Nuge and Ebs trail behind.

“We have just enough time to go on it once,” Hallsy says, arriving in Norway and stopping in front of a ride sign that says simply _Maelstorm_.

Ebs has never even heard of this ride, but Hallsy goes in without hesitation, getting them on the last boat to be sent out for the night. In a way, it reminds Jordan a lot of _It’s a Small World_ , what with its corny animatronics and boaty-ness. He supposes he’s seeing a pattern in Taylor’s favorite rides.

“So. Awesome or what?” Hallsy says as they exit. He only gives Nuge and Ebs time to get in a non-committal nod before saying, “I know right? Hey, someone take my picture with the troll.”

(The trolls turns out not to be anyone in costume, but a giant wooden statue in the gift shop. It gives Ebs the heebie-jo-jeebies.)

Apparently they’re settling into Norway for the show, since Hallsy takes them to the restaurant and orders them some apple and swiss sandwiches with a hurried assurance of _trust me_. Nuge asks _why, if we’re in Norway, do they have swiss cheese?_ to which Hallsy just shushes.

They sit out at the back of the restaurant, just able to see the lake through the pines.

“Good right?” Taylor asks over his sandwich.

And this time when Ebs agrees, it’s with enthusiasm. Who knew such weirdly different foods could be so good?

As he’s thinking it, the music starts in the speakers around them, and the three of them turn their heads toward the fireworks.

It’s…spectacular. Nothing like any firework show Ebs has ever seen. Their table is secluded, forgotten by the crowds since the trees partially block the view, but it suits them just find. Ebs sees Hallsy’s hand resting gently in the center of the table, and puts his own over it. It takes Nuge a few minutes, but when he sees what they’re doing, he puts in his as well. It brings Jordan back, like it’s still the morning and they’re putting hands in for a huddle.

The last of the music ends as sparks fade across the lake. Ebs realizes a small balloon of happiness is in his chest, caused by being in a wonderful place with his favorite people. His smile is barely visible in the dark.

“Happy Birthday, Nuge,” he says softly, a statement echoed by Hallsy beside him.

“Thanks guys,” Ryan grins. “You’re the best.”

* * *

Back in the hotel room, Nuge whines as Ebs puts aloe on the back of his neck.

“Hey, it’s your fault for forgetting the sunscreen,” Ebs points out.

“Yeah yeah, I know.” Nuge lolls his head toward Hallsy. “I’m not the only one suffering for his sins, though.”

Hallsy groans as he pushes a thumb into his sore foot. “You can say that again.” He peels his sock off. “Hey. Anyone want to give me a non-sexual foot massage?”

“You specifying ‘non-sexual’ somehow makes it weirder,” Ebs points out.

“Tell me about it.”

But once Ebs is done applying Nuge’s aloe, he scoops up one of Hallsy’s feet and brings it into his lap. Taylor lets out a throaty moan as he begins to work his fingers into the sores, and Jordan glares at him until he laughs and relents. Nuge gets in on the action too, sliding up against Ebs’s side and closing his eyes.

“So,” Ryan mutters into Jordan’s neck. “Good day?”

“Good day,” Hallsy says.

“Good day,” Ebs agrees.

“Actually,” Hallsy begins, “even better day. Because I got these!” Still with his foot in Ebs’s lap, he leans over the side of the bed and rummages around in his bag. He pulls out three chocolate bars, tossing them back up. “I bought Troika!

“Awesome!” Nuge says, still awake enough to tear off the wrapper. “Best birthday ever.”

No way is Ebs eating when his hands have been touching foot, but when Hallsy tries to steal the spare candy bar for himself, Ebs shoots him a look that could kill flies. It works, and the other two fade into silence, munching happily until the full strain of the day hits them. Nuge nods off, and soon all three of them are drifting away, piled on top of each other with candy wrappers all around.

 


End file.
